Love, Loyalty, Lies
by White Eyebrow
Summary: A serpent, cast down, sheds its skin - ready to strike with fresh venom. A Zarana one-shot. Season 3, Episode 2.5, Sunbowverse.


A/N: Rated "T" for adult situations. Many thanks to** trecebo** for the beta.

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GI JOE Season 3: episode 2.5

Love, Loyalty, Lies

The Pierre Hotel, 6:02 A.M.

The rhythmic tapping of the headboard against the wall ceased. After a few minutes of stillness, Zarana threw off the drenched satin sheets and slid over the edge of the bed. Her body shuddered involuntarily when her feet touched the cold marble floor. She groped blindly with her toes until she found her cashmere slippers. After she put them on, she walked out of the bedroom quietly, so as not to wake Tomax. Save for the slippers and the diamond-studded choker around her neck, she was completely naked. She didn't care that the sweat on her skin exacerbated the chill in the air nipping at her body. She preferred the privacy of the guest bath to sharing the one in the master suite – even if it meant walking to the other side of the penthouse.

The butler wasn't on the job for another hour, so the trip to the bathroom was made in darkness. The quiet of the hallway made the shuffling of her slippers sound artificially loud. When she got to the main hall, she probed the darkness with her hand until her nails tapped against the solid gold foyer table. With her fingertips, she traced a path along the outer edge of the piece as she walked so she wouldn't bump into it.

When she got to the bathroom, she locked the door and turned on the radio. She turned the dial from the cacophony of easy-listening music to her favorite Rock station. When she heard "It Takes a Lot" by The Misfits, she turned the volume up.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The sight of the person that looked back at her caused her eyes to become red and puffy; her vision blurred as tears welled up. She looked away from her reflection before she lost control - cursing herself for being weak. She was able to regain her composure, but the effort caused her stomach to cramp. It was worth the discomfort, however, if it meant stopping those damned tears.

She stepped into the shower and turned the heat up as hot as she could stand it. The water felt good as it blasted her skin. She raised her arms and turned around in the stall so the heat could envelope her entire being. She started to feel the tension go away when her stomach started to cramp again and a wave of nausea swept over her. She instinctively grabbed her belly and started to wretch; fortunately, it had been several hours since she had last eaten, so the only thing that came out was spit and bile.

After she wiped the puke from her mouth, she moistened a soapy sponge and proceeded to wash herself - often scrubbing and rinsing the same area of skin until it became red and irritated. No matter how thoroughly she bathed, it failed to abate the smell of his stink mixed with hers. Eventually, the hot water ran out and she felt the sting of cold wash over her – leaving goosebumps in its wake. At that point, she got out of the shower. After drying herself and replacing the choker, she left the bathroom to go back to the master suite.

The lights were now on in the penthouse, so she wrapped a towel around herself (since it meant that the butler was probably now on duty). Not that modesty mattered to her, but the last time she paraded around naked, it almost gave the old man a coronary. As she trekked back, she was greeted by the smell of gourmet coffee and toast. The crystal chandelier overhead illuminated the solid gold foyer table – splashing the surrounding walls with color. When she entered the master suite, she saw that Tomax was sitting up in bed and reading the Wall Street Journal.

When he saw her come in wrapped in a towel, he looked at her with a lascivious grin, "Now that's what I call _room-service_."

"Cheeky bloke," she responded with a giggle. She adjusted the towel around her chest as she kicked her slippers off.

"You were in there for a while," he said, as he folded the paper and put it on the nightstand.

"A woman's indulgence, luv," she said, with a seductive smile. "I'm afraid I used up all the hot water." She walked over to a vanity table and started to brush her orange hair in the mirror.

"No matter, I had separate water heaters installed for _all_ of the bathrooms."

He got up from the bed, put on his robe and walked over to her. He stood behind her and gazed at her from the reflection in the mirror. Even though the towel was wrapped tightly around her bosom, it didn't stop her breasts from swaying subtly in rhythm with every brush stroke. Tomax slowly removed the towel from behind to reveal her nakedness – allowing the breasts to undulate freely. He put his nose to her hair and breathed in her perfume. He worked his way down and tried to kiss her neck, but the choker she was wearing was in the way.

He sighed. "Must you wear that thing _all_ the time, my dear?"

"A woman's indulgence, luv," she said, as she broke away gently from his embrace. She bent over in front of the mirror to apply her make-up – making sure her buttocks 'innocently' brushed back-and-forth against his erection behind the robe.

"Tease." He walked away and headed toward the master bath, "you realize, of course, that the big meeting is today?"

"Which meeting, luv?" She replied absent-mindedly, as she blotted her lipstick.

He stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder, "_THE_ meeting."

Her eyes perked, "Oh, _that_ one. But why so early? Is it because of what happened in France?"

"No doubt," he replied before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

--oOo--

After they got dressed and ate breakfast, they left the penthouse for the 'meeting'. When Zarana heard Tomax call for the limo to pick them up at the _main_ entrance, she couldn't help but to reveal a grin. There was only one reason to leave in such a manner: so they would be seen by as many people as possible.

They entered the elevator en route to the lobby. When the brass doors closed in front of them, she noticed her reflection in the polished metal and took the opportunity to make last minute touch-ups to her appearance. She pinned back a lock of orange that managed to fall out from under her blonde wig. She blushed when she looked up to meet her lover's amatory gaze in the reflection after adjusting her hair.

She had no qualms about spending Tomax's money, but she also made no illusions as to why he showered her with jewelry and expensive clothes – she was his trophy. So when the elevator doors opened into the main lobby, she did not disappoint him.

Zarana took Tomax's arm as they exited the elevator. It was the height of the mid-morning commute, so the lobby was full of people. As they made their way to the exit, the crowd parted before them like the _Red Sea_. Zarana feigned disinterest as _all _of the men (and some of the women) stole glances at her as she walked by. She made her gait slow and deliberate so as to allow them to worship her. She accentuated each of her steps on the hard floor with the spikes of her high-heels so they would echo loudly over the noise of the bustling crowd.

Her black couture hugged her body like a second skin. By design, the form-fitting dress was unforgiving – then again, there was nothing to forgive. The low cut neckline immediately drew attention to her tight cleavage. The sheer ribbed inserts, sewn around the abdomen, showed off her flat tummy. The diamond stud piercing her belly button sparkled through the vertical slits when she flexed at the waist. The fit was especially snug around her hips, making it obvious that there was nothing between her smooth skin and the silky fabric. The dress flowed down and fanned out just past the knees, exposing her naked calves. The slit on the side of the dress drew the eye back up into her thigh – going up just high enough to leave the imagination hungry for more.

Their limo pulled up as the couple crossed the threshold of the building. Tomax opened the car door for Zarana and took her hand as she gracefully entered the vehicle.

"You are, absolutely, a _vision_ to behold, my dear," he said, kissing her hand.

"You're easy on the eyes yourself, luv," she replied, blasé in her manner toward his affections.

"That's not hard to achieve with Armani," he said, surfeited in his response, before tipping the valet.

--oOo--

It was a short trip to_ Two World Trade Center_. Their entrance into this building would be more reserved since Tomax instructed the driver to let them out in the parking garage. They took the service elevator to the main lobby. Once there, Tomax consulted a directory at the information desk; Zarana noticed as his finger scrolled down a list of tenants and finally paused on "ION trade LLC". They then took a series of passenger elevators to the third zone. From there, they changed to a private express elevator.

"Do you think _he_ will be there?" she asked apprehensively.

"Who?"

"Your brother."

"Of course," he replied, nonplussed. "After all, this _is_ business."

"Yikes, talk about awkward."

"Not to worry my dear, you made your choice. He must respect that," he said, as the elevator came to a stop.

She smiled at him as she took his arm. The elevator doors slowly opened into a secured lobby. Tomax and Zarana walked up to a set of heavy mahogany doors where Tomax presented his palm to an electronic lock. After his palm was scanned, the doors disengaged with a loud 'click' that echoed in the empty lobby. The couple followed the open hallway to a private meeting room. Tomax opened the door for Zarana and walked in behind her. In the middle of the room was a large oval table. Seated at the table were the rest of Cobra's second-echelon lieutenants. When Zarana and Tomax entered, all eyes were on them – except for Xamot's. He continued to read his copy of the Wall Street Journal even as his twin took the empty seat next to him by the door. Zarana was left alone to walk to her reserved seat located at the far side of the table next to her brother Zartan.

Zarana considered herself to be very good at her vocation. Deception was a skill that she had honed while growing up as a means of survival. Parading around in disguise before complete strangers afforded her a sense of freedom and power. She could become _anyone_ she wanted and make _everyone_ believe the illusion. However, where Cobra was concerned, the boundary between her sense of self and the illusion was uncertain. Ever since her first mission, she allowed doubt to creep in and eat away at her resolve. This duality in her character was something that she accepted long ago as an artifact of her profession. True to her craft, she gave no outward signs of apprehension as she walked the gauntlet.

StormShadow eyed her up-and-down as she passed by. He was more intimidating with his mask off; nevertheless, she did not back down from his cold stare. Major Bludd pretended to be otherwise engaged in fussing over the bionics grafted to his paralyzed arm. His leers were less obvious than StormShadow's - betrayed only by the slight turning of his head to make up for his diminished field of vision. As she approached Destro, he stood up at attention and pulled out her chair. Although it was impossible to read his expression behind the steel mask, she took his gesture at face value and stayed in character as she took the seat between him and her Brother. She was amused by how Dr. MindBender rolled his eyes - causing his monocle to fall off - no doubt at the observance of such archaic social graces. The Baroness, seated at the head of the table, waited for Destro to sit back down before she began the meeting:

"Now that we are all here, we can begin. In front of you, there is a meeting packet. The items inside are arranged in the order commensurate to today's agenda. As soon as the contents are exposed to the air, the ink will start to dissolve within the hour, so be sure to memorize the items within – we will not repeat anything said outside this room. Having said that, you should know that this is also the point of no return. By opening these packets, you are agreeing to be a part of the new regime – forever. Anyone who wants out, _now _is the time. Please decide..."

Baroness looked around the room as the other lieutenants opened the seals on their respective packets. Her eyes stopped when she noticed that Xamot was the only one who seemed to hesitate. He flipped the packet over repeatedly between his fingers. All the while, his eyes remained fixed on Zarana, who was seated across the table from him. Zarana, seemingly oblivious to his attention, did not return his gaze; although she betrayed her awareness by shifting uncomfortably in her chair. A smirk broke through Baroness' usual stoic expression as the subtle drama unfolded before her. She looked around the room again, to see if anyone else noticed the exchange.

Finally, Xamot turned his attention to the envelope. He broke the seal and started to rip the packet open along the seam. It was slow and deliberate - enabling the protracted tear to echo loudly in the meeting room. It was so obnoxious, that the other lieutenants took notice.

"Sorry," he said, disingenuously.

Baroness waited until everyone turned to the first item on the agenda before continuing, "As you know, originally we all agreed to meet here at the 2-year anniversary of the battle of Cobrala. However, recent events have necessitated us to assess our financial situation post-haste. Tomax, what is the status of the Crimson Guard insurrection?"

"I've eliminated the last of the malcontents _personally_," said Tomax. "It cost us all of our assets in France, but in my opinion it was a small price to pay. Now that the other cells are in-line, our holdings in the rest of Europe, Japan, and America should afford us a stable flow of income for our operations."

"Excellent," said Baroness. "Next on the agenda: Extensive Enterprises. This corporation will have no place in the new order. Time and time again, it has provided the authorities with a paper trial that has resulted in compromising many of our operations."

"Agreed," said Xamot. "_E.E._ is no longer a viable front. It took a great deal of creative accounting, but we were able to successfully file for chapter 11. We then bought back 90 percent of its assets through dummy corporations set up through the Crimson Guard network, at a reduced cost of course--."

"And at the same time, we were able to write off the net capital losses for a substantial profit – with the SEC and the IRS none the wiser," Tomax added.

"As _I_ was saying," Xamot continued, after giving his brother a reprimanding glare for cutting in. "Although E.E. no longer exists on paper, the infrastructure remains intact. As a result, it will be easier to conceal our assets from prying eyes."

"Is it reasonable to assume that the particulars of the financials will be ready by our next meeting?" Baroness asked. When Tomax and Xamot nodded back in agreement she continued, "Then lets move on to the next item: Mission statements and organizational culture. Sebastian, I believe you wanted to take the lead on this?"

"Yes," replied Major Bludd. "Waiting this long to take action has cost us dearly. Morale and troop confidence is at an all-time low. I've had to personally tour each of our cells around the globe and assure them that Cobra has not fallen. I propose that with this new regime, we make a complete break from the old and start from scratch."

"That's a little drastic don't you think?" Baroness asked.

"No I don't. You can downplay it all you want, but we got our asses handed to us at Cobrala – for many that was the last straw. We've been plagued with greed and poor leadership since the beginning, and unless we demonstrate a real change, it won't be just the _Crimson Guard _in rebellion--"

"That might not be fiscally prudent," replied Tomax. "The changes you are proposing are not trivial. The administrative costs alone would be enormous. Small things like stationary, uniforms ..." Tomax paused to allow his brother to finish his sentence. When he saw that Xamot had no intention of doing so, he continued,"...and other ancillary costs would quickly add up--"

"Putain de merde!" Bludd responded, impatiently. "If all you're worried about is uniforms and patches, then we can still keep a _serpentine_ theme: personally I was thinking of changing our name to _The Coil--_"

"Melodrama aside," Destro said. "I must agree with Tomax. Cobra is still a name that instills fear; you cannot _buy_ that kind of recognition. However, I concede that Bludd is right in the fact that leadership has been at the core of many of our failures. It is past time for a new administration--"

"--And here we go!" Zartan said, as he threw his hands up. "I was wondering when _you_ were going to make your bid to take over the reigns."

"I have no interest in ruling Cobra," Destro said. "I don't make it a habit of surrounding myself with assassins. I was going to propose a _plural_ hegemony."

"We're not exactly big on cooperation," Zartan said. "How are we going to get anything done?"

"Separation of functions: each of us will be in charge of a specific sphere of operation. Larger mission-critical issues will be put to a vote in committee."

"No, that won't work," said Bludd. "You can't argue to maintain the current infrastructure in one breath, and then radically change the leadership. You'll confuse the troops. If we're going remain as Cobra, then we have to maintain the _look-and-feel_ of the old order."

"What do you mean Sebastian?" Baroness asked, intrigued.

"We need a charismatic new leader to _front_ this oligarchy," said Bludd.

"Don't tell me you guys want to make another Serpentor!" said Zartan, giving Dr. MindBender a mocking glance.

"He's talking about a puppet," Baroness said.

"Beautiful _and_ intelligent," Bludd said, as he adjusted the sleeve on his bionic arm.

"I think the Major's reasoning is sound," said StormShadow, who rarely offered his opinion unsolicited.

"If everyone's in agreement, then we'll work out the details in our next meeting," said Baroness.

The other lieutenants seemed to agree as well, so Baroness continued to the next item.

"I saved the most interesting item for last. Dr. MindBender has made some revealing discoveries during our sabbatical--"

"Thank you Baroness," MindBender said. "I think you will all find what I have to say very interesting: It's funny that Zartan would mention Serpentor because _my_ former creation is at the root of the issue--"

"_Your_ creation?" said Destro, exasperated. "I think we all know that Serpentor was ultimately the product of _Cobrala_ bio-science. Bio-science, I might add, that played you for a fool!"

"Yes Destro, the irony is not lost to me: the master mind manipulator, himself, manipulated," MindBender said, flippantly. "But I think you're opinion will change soon enough: everyone please turn to page 12 of your packets."

Dr. MindBender took off his monocle and polished the glass with a handkerchief as he waited. The other lieutenants obeyed, shuffling through their packets. On the page in question was a photograph of an exotic looking bug-like creature. It had six legs and was colored with splotches of brown and black. A dime was pictured next to it for scale.

"Ew yuck!" Zarana said, upon seeing the photo. "That's a weird looking spider."

"It's not a spider," said MindBender, as he replaced his monocle. "In fact, it is a new species - closely related to the _Hymenoptera_ order of insects."

"Where did you find this...thing?" Baroness asked.

"I _liberated_ some of these specimens during our stay at Cobrala. They are called _physic motivators_. They are the means by which Golobulus _inspired_ me to create Serpentor. I have been studying them - trying to isolate the factors in their venom that control human behavior."

"This is all very fascinating Doctor," said Destro, "but I'm waiting for the part where you tell us _why_ we should cut your department a check to continue playing with bugs?"

Dr. MindBender glared at Destro, "As you so bluntly pointed out Destro, I acknowledge that Golobulus played me for a puppet. But didn't it occur to you that I might not have been the only one whose strings were being pulled?"

"I seem to recall someone, who shall remain nameless (Destro), who pledged Golobulus his most _enthusiastic obedience,_" Zartan said, with a sneer.

"Zartan, one day you will push me too far! I have had about enough of your--," Destro suddenly stopped his rant as he gasped with a sudden realization. A _realization_ that MindBender picked up on:

"Yes Destro, you perceive the facts correctly," MindBender said. "We were _all_ compromised at some point. Didn't it seem strange to everyone that we all fell into compliance with Golobulus so quickly? We were all being controlled on some level; Golobulus needed us to do his _dirty work_ for him."

MindBender took a sip of his coffee while he gave the others time to digest this revelation before continuing:

"Golobulus used these _physic motivators_ to deliver an enzyme into our bloodstreams. The enzyme has the effect of reprogramming the subject's behavior without destroying the underlying personality. Try to appreciate how amazing that is – up until now, this sort of thing was only limited to the realm of science fiction. Before this, our current level of mind control techniques was limited to using either operant psychological conditioning, or strong psychotropic drugs. Both work by destroying the subject's identity; you are basically left with a blabbering drone. Cobrala's psychic motivators, on the other hand, can bend the subject to your will while still leaving them cognizant and functional; it can even implant new knowledge and skills – all without the subject's awareness."

"And how did you figure all this out?" Xamot asked.

"In my case, the exchange of knowledge worked both ways. In creating Serpentor, I was programmed with a skill-set that made me adept at Cobrala technology. In his arrogance, Golobulus made me aware of the existence of the physic motivators in order to humiliate me. He didn't think that my _fine intelligence_ could make the connection that we were all being controlled."

"If that's the case," Zartan said, with a confused expression, "why didn't they use mind control to prostrate mankind instead of the mutagenic spores?"

"The mind control technology is fundamentally flawed in that it has to allow for a certain degree of free will," MindBender said. "I, with my superior intellect, was able to counter the effects by simply being made aware of it – although it took a great deal of concentration. Another factor to consider is, the enzyme is extremely difficult to produce; I haven't been able to breed the bugs that I stole from Cobrala's labs – they are instrumental in synthesizing the enzyme that makes the mind control possible. Unfortunately, once they deliver the enzyme, they die."

"You've tinkered with mind control before with middling results – I don't see why this would be any different. It seems to me like this technology isn't viable. Forgive me for my skepticism, but isn't using _mind-control_ with _free-will_ an oxymoron?" said Xamot.

"You have to understand that I am dealing with technologies that are possibly thousands of years ahead of us. It's like putting together a modern computer with sticks and stones for tools. That being said, it doesn't mean Cobrala technology isn't worth developing; I think I've proven its worth with the new MAMBA troopers."

"Agreed," said StormShadow. "You would do well to learn _patience_, Xamot. After all, by simply waiting, we have done more damage to GI Joe, in two years, than the collective efforts of Cobra Commander and Serpentor combined. Our enemy is now scattered by budget-cuts and mired in red-tape."

"_Waiting_ doesn't get the bills paid StormShadow," said Xamot. "We still have an organization to run."

"Let's not dwell on what we _don't _know and focus instead on what we _do_ know. Please continue Dr. MindBender," said Baroness.

"The enzyme is metabolized quickly in the liver; however, traces of it remain in the hair and nails. From each of the samples that you have all submitted at our last meeting, I have confirmed that we have all indeed been compromised for quite some time."

"How long?" asked Baroness.

"The level of saturation suggests exposure to the enzyme over the course of several years."

"Years? Has Cobrala been pulling our strings all that time?" Zartan asked.

"NO," Destro said, in epiphany. He slammed his fist on the table so hard that it caused MindBender's coffee to spill. "That madman has been using us all this time! He's no doubt had access to Cobrala's resources from the beginning."

"Destro is right. It is my theory that Cobra Commander chose all of us as his lieutenants particularly because _we _were susceptible to the enzyme. It also explains how he was able to rally such a large terrorist organization in such a short time...I personally never found him to be much of a motivational speaker."

"Not only that, he was a complete idiot," Zartan added. "No wonder he had to resort to mind-control. Still, why would Golobulus send such an incompetent to rule the world on his behalf?"

"I knew him longer that anyone here; he wasn't always that way," Bludd commented. "Say what you want about Cobra Commander, but he had an incomparable intelligence. Too bad it was polluted by his sadistic passions. I believe at some point his sanity gave way to paranoia."

"Can't you blokes read between the lines?" said Zarana. "It wasn't paranoia, but Self-preservation. After a certain number of failures, he had to have known that going back home was a death sentence. And after Serpentor was created, his fate was sealed – even if Cobra succeeded in taking over the world, Golobulus still would have executed Cobra Commander--"

"--Because at that point any victory would have been attributed to Serpentor," Tomax added, in agreement. "He was trapped; his only refuge would have been to ensure Cobra never achieved _ultimate_ victory. He must have sabotaged our efforts under the guise of buffoonery and incompetence."

"He was just scared," Zarana said quietly. "I almost feel sorry for him."

"If this is all true, then why would he seek refuge at Cobrala _after_ Serpentor was captured by GI JOE in the Himalayas?" asked Zartan.

"He was probably programmed by those bugs to turn himself in whenever he happened to be in the area. Luck of the draw, I suppose," Zarana replied.

"Like the Salmon: their urge to return to spawn at their ancestral waters is irresistible – even if it means death," StormShadow mused.

"A victim of his own technology? How poetic," Bludd commented.

"I admit that this is all very fascinating," said Baroness. "But it is also conjecture. And we're getting off-topic. Dr MindBender you have made your point: please re-double your efforts to synthesize the enzyme. Now, if no one else has anything to add, for the remainder of our time, I would like to address some last minute details..."

The rest of the meeting was left to the assignment of administrative duties. The Baroness seemed to be in her element, so it was decided that she would moderate all future meetings. After adjourning, Zarana got up from her chair to rejoin Tomax. Before she walked off, however, Zartan grabbed her by the arm, pulled her aside and whispered in her ear:

"Do you think your _Romeo_ could do without you for a few days?"

In response, she gave her brother a grin before turning to Tomax, who was still waiting for her across the room. Zarana blew Tomax a kiss before waving goodbye. Tomax waved back, grimacing as he watched Zartan take her away with him.

Zartan and Zarana left the room through the back entrance that opened into a narrow hallway. They followed the hallway to a lobby with a lone service elevator. Zartan then pushed the 'up' button on the control panel.

"It's good to see you again sister. How's your _special assignment_ going so far?"

"I think its giving me an ulcer," she said, massaging her belly.

"Oh really? I see, at least, that you've been availing yourself of the _perks_," Zartan said, taking notice of the couture dress she wore, as well as the diamond-studded choker around her neck.

"So what's the dish? I know you didn't call me over for a progress report."

"I have a chopper waiting on the roof to take us to the airport. I need you to come with me to California...Are you up for some _mayhem_?"

"You know me too well dear brother," she said with a smile.

The elevator arrived with a chime. When the doors parted, the two stepped in. Before the doors slid to a close, they saw Destro approaching.

"Zartan, I will speak with you," he said, in a commanding tone.

"This is a private car _Chrome-Dome,_" said Zarana, glaring at the arms dealer.

"No need to be rude sister," Zartan said. "There's room for one more." He pushed the 'open' button just before the doors closed.

Destro stepped into the elevator in silence. He waited until the car started to move before he addressed Zartan:

"I saw the results of your handy-work and I must say I am thoroughly impressed. The twins can barely stand to be in the same room together, let alone finish each others sentences."

"He knows?" Zarana said to her brother, punching him on the shoulder. "When were you going to tell _me_ we were in bed with the likes of _him_?"

"I was going to tell you when we rendezvoused with Zandar and the Drednoks. It was actually Destro's idea to corrupt the Crimson guard power base--"

"It may have been _my_ idea," Destro interjected, as he turned his attention toward Zarana," but the way _you_ executed it was brilliant my child. I would never have thought to pit the twins against each other over a matter of love. Your brother and I were of the same mind: that in order for the new Cobra order to work, we would need the Crimson Guard infrastructure intact. Unfortunately, that would give the Crimson Guard commanders too much leverage. Putting them at odds will level the playing field so-to-speak."

"I told you she could do it," Zartan said, with pride in his voice.

"Yes, I always considered your sister to be one of the more _competent_ Drednoks--"

"Watch it _chromy_," she said, impatiently. "I ain't no flippin' Drednok! And we don't need _you_ overstatin' the obvious!"

"She has a point Destro. It would be best if we weren't seen being so _amicable_. People might start to talk."

"Agreed, but I have a helicopter waiting for me on the roof as well; no harm in sharing an elevator," Destro said.

Once the elevator reached the top floor, the occupants exited. They walked in silence to the stairs leading to the helipad on the roof where two helicopters where on stand-by. Destro then separated from Zartan and Zarana to board his conveyance. Zarana waited until he was out of earshot before addressing her brother:

"Please tell me you have a plan to double-cross that wanker."

"You know me too well dear sister. We haven't survived this long without keeping an ace up our sleeves. We'll play it straight for now, as long as this arrangement profits the family--"

"And as long as Destro doesn't get too ambitious."

"Well said...By the way, I _have_ been curious about one thing: what made you choose Tomax over Xamot? Did you flip a coin or something?"

Zarana hesitated to answer as she caressed the choker around her neck, "No...I chose Tomax because _Xamot_ is the one who's actually in _love_ with me."

They continued to walk in silence as Zartan pondered the profundity of Zarana's statement. When they got to their helicopter, Zartan held the door open for his sister and helped her in.

"Remind me to _never_ get on your _bad _side," he said.

The End.


End file.
